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I rarely buy lingerie anymore (for obvious reasons, I have no more room in our two-room flat!) but when I do, it’s those pieces that I have considered long and hard. I am actually pretty considerate when it comes to buying pretties: I usually wonder and weigh on my purchases for months and really think hard if I want and need the item in question. I don’t have tons of spare coins and I like good quality clothing that is ethically made, so I save my pennies to buy something absolutely gorgeous or adorable.

So, I decided to make my first lingerie purchase in probably years and invested in a My Retro Closet “Jayne” nightie in red – I just couldn’t resist the ruffles, the adorable shoulder-ties and the way it spoke Xmas to me. Regardless of it being a Christmas season treat to myself, I decided to review it here now as I truly think this piece of heaven deserves a special mention here on my blog.

I have admired My Retro Closet’s pieces for a while and they struck me as something we could have seen on the actresses of Mad Men or in the sleepover scene in Grease – perfect 50’s-60’s style boudoir glamour that look both effortless and sexy. I was first wary about the fit and the look this nightie would give me – I wasn’t sure if it was going to sit nicely on my larger-than-average bust and I was afraid of looking frumpy and shapeless in it. There were also not specific sizes when it came to the Jayne babydoll, which is not usually good for busty ladies like myself. However, the website said it would fit UK sizes 8-16, so I decided to give it a try.

My fears were not in the right at all, as the cut is very generous and would probably fit a plethora of body shapes and sizes. The tie-shoulders help with adjusting the neckline to a height that suits my body (and my mood!) the best. I find the shape rather flattering in its unique way – it’s rather innocent while being so flowy but also a bit naughty as it is a see-through fabric. The see-through aspect of it is not the most obvious which is something I like – I want just a hint of my skin showing through.
My Retro Closet’s own house brand is usually made-to-order, with the exception of some special sale events when the owner (a lovely lady, if I may say so!) sews a few of the most popular styles ready-to-ship. I ordered my Jayne babydoll during a 20% flash sale but yet it was made-to-order – however, I told the owner that I needed the item by a certain date for a special occasion and she made sure to sew and ship it in time, so it arrived in Finland several days before the D-day. I was ecstatic and can only say good things about the customer service! She is also a doll on social media and always replying to her customers questions on there as well.

When the parcel arrived in just a few days after shipping, I was happy to discover a lovely neatly wrapped babydoll in it – and it was even more gorgeous than I had hoped it to be! The quality was impeccable and you could see it was made with love. Some of the best lingerie money I have seriously ever spent (and I have spent quite some…)! The colour was a perfect true red which suits perfectly Christmas, Valentine’s Day and pretty much any day you want to feel sassy and retro.
I am very much of home-type of person – I do like my nights out and going to gym and strolling in the city centre etc, but my bed is literally the best place I know. Preferable with my loved one (don’t you think dirty there!). Even though I got the Jayne nightie for a special occasion, I do find it rather practical as well. Sure, I would never give up my Bambi onesie I got from Disneyland – after all I got proposed in it! – but I also sometimes like to feel a bit feminine without giving up my comfort either. This is where the Jayne comes in – it makes me feel so sexy yet not exposed nor uncomfortable at all.

Depending on the time you order, the made-to-order items at My Retro Closet take about 2-6 weeks to sew and ship. So if you have a day you need them on, please make sure to order in time and leave the owner a note! The Jayne range also features a bralette and panty set I very much have my eyes on – I am just hesitant to make a purchase because of my bust size. However, I have ordered some other items from them and they have always been beautiful and great quality. This store and it’s lovely owner get a huge thumbs up from me! If you are interested in your very own Jayne, it costs £75. However, they do have regular sales for a few % off if you are on a budget! And even on regular price, I can tell the products are totally worth it 😉

It has been a while since I tested Ewa Bien bras myself: they are actually visually one of my top favourite brands but unfortunately, most of their beautiful bras stopped at G- or H-cup in Polish sizes. As someone who wears 70J in their bras, this made the brand out of reach for me. When I reported this problem to Ewa Bien and though I understand the limitations when it comes to bra manufacturing and running a business successfully, Ewa Bien team took my advice and plea, and added a couple new full-bust appropriate styles to their collection! This is amazing, as making J-M cups is not always the easiest nor the most cost-effective thing to do. Today I am trying out their new B103 style in Black/Grey Daria. Here’s how it turned out for me! *This bra was sent to me by the lovely Ewa Bien team. All opinions are my own.*

The Design: The B103 is meant for the fuller bust as it goes up to Polish M-cup, equivalent to UK J-cup. This is an amazing size expansion for a family-lead brand, that doesn’t yet have the audience of Panache and other huge brands. In Poland however, businesses such as Ewa Bien are very popular and Polish women trust in their country-women’s knowledge on bra-making. No wonder – the shape you can get with a Polish bra is unrivaled and Ewa Bien is no exception.

The shape with the B103 is very uplifted and it has a great deal of immediate projection, which is something many women look for in their bras. The cups are constructed of four parts: it has the traditional three-part cup construction but for added support, there is a side sling to bring the breasts even more forward. This prevents the breasts from splaying towards my sides, which is something I can always appreciate.

The Daria style seems to be something that Ewa Bien is making as one of their core styles for bigger cup sizes. The style is also available in other cuts which doesn’t have the massive size range, but they do make it in one other full-bust style, the semi-soft B151. The Daria also comes in two colour combinations: Black/Cream and Black/Grey, of which I chose the latter one. Grey has recently become one of my favourite colours in both clothing and underwear and I love the sophisticated combination of black and grey a lot.The cups are completely see-through which is nice if you are looking for something a bit sexy for your everyday bradrobe.

The Fit: The B103 is quite a regular balconette style cut, with a 3/4 coverage. Personally, I would prefer something a bit more revealing like the styles I tried a couple of years back from Ewa Bien, but I have no issue wearing this bra either on a regular basis. The cut still suits a variety of necklines and is a great basic style for everyday wear.

I am wearing my regular Polish size 70J (UK 32GG) with this bra and I am very happy with the size – the band is stretchier than with many other Polish brands but this suits me fine as I like my bands comfortable. The fastening happens with three hooks and eyes and the band is wide enough to feel comfortable and supportive on someone with my body type (ie. small band, big cups). I would say the size runs very true-to-size if you have tried Polish or other European brands before. If you are between band sizes, I would advice to size up with most Ewa Bien styles.

My only gripe with the fit is the wires – however, wires are the one part that are highly personal when it comes to what fits your body the best and I prefer wires that are medium-to-narrow width. This style is a bit on the wider side for me, but not alarmingly so. If I could, I would have them just one cm narrower, that’s all. The depth is absolutely perfect for me, and I like how it contains me fully top, bottom and sides without any extra bulging.

Comfort: This set is made of very comfortable materials and it’s lightweight which makes it easy to wear almost under anything. The top part of the cups is a bit stretchy so it suits many breast shapes without being too restricting for a full-on-top girl like me. The band is comfortable and the whole ensemble is very sturdy if you need to be active and walk/move around a lot during the day.

The only thing I am having issues with, are once again the straps. Even though they are rather wide and comfortable themselves, they are placed a bit too widely for my body type. This makes the bra cup’s edge chafe my armpit just a little, which is not ideal if you want your bra to “feel like nothing”. Overall, I would say this bra style is meant for someone a bit wider than me, when it comes to breast tissue distribution, shoulders and rib cage.

The panties are, in a very Polish manner, quite snug in sizing. I went for the size Medium which does fit me okay, but I would perhaps prefer something a bit more covering. However, the C511 style is a classic Brazilian so it’s not even meant to cover a ton. Great for feeling a bit cheeky, quite literally!

If you would fancy giving this new full-bust style a go, you can find it on Ewa Bien’s own online store. The B103 bra (219 zl) comes in Polish sizes 65-100 B-M (enormous size range, right?!) and the C511 briefs (109 zl) come in sizes S-XXL. What do you think of size expansion and the Daria? Let me know in the comments!

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